“We paid all the employees an extra two weeks of pay, including tips,” Fasy said. We just want to make sure we understand what you’re going to do.’”īy the time the closure order came for March 16, Delaware Park’s preparation was evident, in a plan to help employees survive an extended shutdown while preserving liquidity and avoiding debt. “We talked to the governor before he even announced that we were going to close,” recalled Delaware Park President William Fasy in an interview with GGB News. In fact, the reopening plan for Delaware Park began even before Governor John Carney ordered the closure of all casinos due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In March, at the very start of the forced 10-week hiatus for Delaware racinos, the owners of the Casino at Delaware Park were planning for the industry’s reopening. The reopening went smoothly by all accounts, thanks to plans that were in place long before any of the three racinos knew exactly when a return to business would occur.
The early news was good, with brisk business despite the fact that active slot machines, by order of the state, must be 8 feet apart. Delaware’s racinos were back in business as of June 1, at 30 percent floor capacity.
